Bicycle-pedal



(No Model.)

C. H. DAVIDS.

BICYCLE PEDAL.

THE Nonms PETERS' w mcau'ma. wAsmNcTon. u, c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OEErCE.I

` CHARLES ll. DAVIDS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

BICYCLE-PEDAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 527,384, dated October9, 1894. Application filed November 16, 1893. Serial No. 491,092. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. DAvIDs, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented `a new and useful Improvementin Bicycle-Pedals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to au improvement in bicycle pedals in which thepedal is permitted a limited universal movement on its supportingspindle.

In applying pressure by the ball of the foot upon the pedal to drive awheel, there is a constant tendency for the ball of the foot to workoutwardly and press against the outer guard of the pedal, thereby undulycramping the outside of the foot and havinga tendency to render it numband uncomfortable. There is also a natural tendency of the footrto swingto a greater or less extent in a horizontal plane during its circularmovement with the pedal in a vertical plane, and this slight tendency toswing horizontally requires either that the ball of the foot twist onthe surface of the pedal or that the ankle be restrained from adaptingitself to the movement which is most natural to it.

My present invention is directed to improvements in connection with apedal which, because of its limited universal movement on the spindlewill adapt itself squarely to the downward pressure exerted upon it andwill, at the same time, move freely in a horizontal plane sufficientlyto permit the foot to adjust itself naturally as it moves around withthe pedal.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented inthe accompanyingdrawings, in whichu b Figure 1 is atop plan view of the pedal. Fig. 2 isa transverse centralsection of the same, and Fig. 3 is an end view withthe dust cap removed.

The pedal supporting spindle, which may be adapted to an ordinarydriving crank of bicycles now in common use, is denoted byA `and ispreferably made of a length slightly greater than one-half the width ofthe pedal. The outer end of the spindle A is developed into globularform, as indicated at a and on this globular, outer end of the spindlethe pedal is mounted.

reaching its smallest diameter at a point a short distance inwardly fromthe globular end a of the spindle, at which point the bore of thetubular portion B abruptly increases in size, forming a shoulder cfacing toward the outer end of the tubular portion and from this pointto the outer end of the tubular portion a uniform bore O extends. It isintended that the globular portion dof the spindle shall have a greaterdiameter than the smallest portion of the conical bore C and that itshall have a diameter less than the diameter of the uniform bore C.

The connection of the pedal with the spindle is effected by means of twosets of ball bearings, the balls D of one set being held in positionbetween the face of a bearing box E, seated at the inner end of the boreC and the curved surface of the globular head a, on the side toward thecrank; and the balls D', of the other set being held between the face ofthe hearing box E', secured in the bore C and the outer curved face ofthe globular head ct.

The bearing box E may be simply slid into position with a close slidingtit, while the bearing box E may be provided with an external screwthread c adapted to register with an internal thread formed on the Wallof the bore C. A check nut F, in the form of a ring with a screw threadon its exterior is fitted to screw within the bore O against the outerend of the bearing box E and for purposes of screwlng and unscrewing thecheck nut F andbearing box E', I provide the latter with a pair ofsockets e and the former with a pair of notches f to receive the pointsof a wrench.

To keep any ii ying dust or foreign substance from the ball bearings, Iprovide the narrow neck of the conical bore O with a washer G which maybe located near the globular head a and formed of some suitableexiblemate- IOO rial so that it will not materially interfere with the rockingmovement of the pedal on the head a, to an extent permitted by the spacebetween the spindle and the interior wall of the bore C. To prevent dustand foreign substance from catching in the screw-threads within the boreC', I tind it desirable to provide a dust cap II which may be insertedin the outer end of the bore.

The rubbers for receiving the contact of llie foot with the pedal aredenoted by K and connected by asurrounding rib kso that when thesections are inserted through the skeleton wings of the pedal, the ribla will rest in a recess b4, formed around the inner margin of the wingand the said rubber is locked in position by a skeleton locking plate Ladapted to conform to the shape of the wing and provided withperforations Z to receive the clamping screws Z which, after passingthrough the perforations in the locking plate, enter threadedperforatious b5 in the wing.

By the above construction, I am enabled to make the spindle very strongand still keep its weight less than the long spindle at present in use,while the pedalitself is permitted to assume such positions as may berequired to adapt itself to the positions which the foot would mostnaturally assume when operating the pedal and at the same time thestructure is so simple and free from complications that it may bereadily examined and kept in proper and are conveniently molded insectionsworkin g order without liability oE derangement.

What I claim isl. In combination, a crank spindle provided with aglobular head, a pedal having a tubu-` 2. The combination with a crankspindle t provided with a globular head, of a pedal, comprising acentral tubular portion and skeleton wing portion extending in oppositedirections from the tubular portion, the tubular portion being providedwith a bore regular throughout a portion of its length and conicalthroughout a portion of its length, the regular portion being providedwith an internal screw thread, bearing boxes fitted to the interior ofthe bore, rubbers fitted to the Wings and clamping plates to hold therub- 6o bers in position, substantially as set forth.

CHAS. H. DAVIDS.

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNEs, R. B. SEWARD.

